Accelerator pedal



' ACCELERATOR PEDAL Filed June 28.` 1926 Patented vFeb. 1, 1927.

WILLIAM JAMES HARDY, lor AUBURN, NEAR SYDNEY, NEwsoUTH WALES,

l AUSTRALIA.Y

ACCELEEATOR PEDAL'.

Application filed June 28, 1926, SerialNo. 119,133, and in Australia May20, 1926.

eration of whichhas resulted in fatal and other accidents, and theimprovements have been specially devised to provide simple, cheap, handyand effective means whereby the accelerator pedal or lever' when freedto retire to normal inoperative position will be locked againstoperation until deliberately released, thus preventing unintentionaloperation thereof.

The improvements consist of a normally projected retirable latcharranged toy engage and lock the accelerator pedal or lever, andoperable means for freeing the latch from the pedal to allow operationof the latter.

In order that the improvements and a practical application thereof willbe readily understood the same will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a convenient construction andarrangement, and in which u Figure 1 is a perspective view of the1mprovements arranged for use.

Figure 2 is an end elevation partly in section viewed in direction o-fthe arrow in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a .similar view showing the improvements applied to anoscillatable accelerator pedal.

On a bracket 6 which carries a. spaced guard 7 thereabove and is adaptedto be secured to the floor of the vehicle close to the accelerator pedalor lever, is pivoted as at 8 a bellcrank whose long member functions asa latch 9, has on its end'an inward shoulder 10, and moves between thebracket 6 and its vguard 7 against a compressiblespring 11 which isconveniently secured and keeps said latch normally projected beyond theedge of said bracket with its shoulder 10 riding against the stem of thepedal 12, and the other member 14 of the bellcra-nk is orificed as at 15to receive the cranked end 16 of a rocker shaft 17 which latter ismounted in an upstanding lug-18 on said bracket Gand in a similar lug 18on another bracket 19 adapted to be secured to the floorvof the vehicleat requisite position. On said shaft 17 is a pedal 2() preferablysecured by a setscrew 21 to permit of longitudinal. and radialadjustment of said pedal 20 to suit the driver.

A descendable accelerator pedal 12 is provided with an engageableshoulder 13 formed vby thickening the stemk from requisite positionito1or near to, its head so that when the pedal 12 commences todescend, the

shoulder 13 passesthe latch 9 whose edge` pass under the shoulder 13 andlock the pedal against operation until the latch is deliberately retiredtherefrom throughope `eration of the rocker shaft 17 by pressure of `afoot upon its pedal 20.

In applying the improvements to existing vehicles in which theaccelerator pedal'is 'descendable, the requisite engageableshoulder 13may beprovided on the pedal stem 12 by alixing thereon a sleeve ofrequisitelength.

The latchmay be projected by a spring as described or by any othersuitable means.

With an oscillatable accelerator pedal 22 the late-his arranged as inFigure 3, so that s the end thereof will pass in front of the pedal stemwhen it is in retired or shut off` position and lock it thereat, thelinward .shoulder l0v ofthe latch riding against said stemV topreventexcessive projection of the latch. When the latch 9 is retiredand the! pedal 22 is moved its stem passes the end of said stem untilthe pedal'22 is freed and returns to normal position when the latch endwill pass in front of the stem and so lock the pedal. Y

In use, the accelerator pedal being `in highest, retired or shut ofposition, the latch is in frontof an oscillatable pedal 22 or under theshoulder 13 on a descendable pedal 12, the shoulderl 10 of the latch 9riding against the pedal stem 12 or 22, and so lpreventing excessivelprojection of said latch, and the the latch 9 whose side rides freelyagainst means and means carried by the pedal for holding saidretainingmeans 1ii`anj` inoperative position after ysaid meansforreleasing the retaining means has been operated. v

2. Allatch for an accelerator pedal of. Vautomobiles comprising a leveradaptedto engage the pedal forretainingl the latter in its normalposition, means operatively connectedV to` said leverwvhereby the samemay be Withdrawn from engagement with the pedal and means flor holdingsaid lever out of retaining` engagement With the pedal `when the samehas been moved topa functioning position. Y c

3. A device forrretai'ning an accelerator pedal of automobiles in aninoperative position comprising a pivotally supported member, avslimlder Vformed with' member andadaptedto-norinally engage the pedalfor. retaining the latter in an' inoperative position, a projectioncarried by the'ped'al,

said shoulder adapted to ride upon said projection'when the pedal'is inoperative position and a manually operable shaft connected to saidYmember whereby said shoulder may be moved fromA engagement With thepedal andpermitted to `ride upon said projection. f

4. The combination with a descendable accelerator pedal of anautomobile, of ashoulder at requisite position on. the Ypedal stemformed bythickeningsame thereabove, a

bracket secured tothe Hoor, a bellcrank member fulcrumed upon saidbracketiand .having an iny ardly shouldered end and lan orinicfed. end',means for normally projecting the shouldered end', a rocker shaft with acranked` Aend A in engagement withv lsaid orificed end, tand a pedalupon said shaft.`

' 5. 'The combination with an automobile .accelerator i pedal havingstem provided 'with e redness norfion, if means far locking said pedalin an inoperative position comprising a bracket, a bell crank leverpivotally mounted upon said bracket, a latch arm formed with one endofsaid lever and adapt@ ,edy to engage the reduced portion of, the stemofthe pedal forretainingthelattenin an inoperative position, a crankshaft jour-V nalled to said bracket and connected to the opposite end ofsaid bell crank lever, an adjustableland Vmanually operable pedalvcarried by said crank shaft, and means for normally holding said latcharm in contact With the stem of the accelerator pedal.

G. An improved rockable lock for an auton'iobile accelerator pedal,comprising a bracket, a bell cjjank 'carried thereby, one

ends to provide a latch andthe other arm formed vvithan opening, meansto normally project the latch, a rockable shaft mounted infsaid bracket,crank at one lend of said shaft engageable with the opening in said armanda longitudinally and radially adjustable .pedal upon said: shaft. i

7. An improved operable lock for an automobile acceleratorpedal,comprising a bracket which is adapted for aiiXing to the said bracket-tonormally project theY shouldered member, a ro'ckable shaft mountableVinl said lu, a crank at one end vof. said shaft for engagiiment withthe orificed end 'of the bellcra'nk, and a longitudinallyandradiallyadjustable pedal upon said' shaft.

WILLIAM JAMES HARDY arm of which has aninivard shoulder at its Y

